Shelburne Little League Coaching Manual€¦ · Web view• Use encouragement and positive...

COACHES TOOLBOX

Players Agreement Please read carefully and sign

I will always give 100% effort. I will continuously learn and improve my skills. I will learn from my mistakes. They are an important part of

learning I will be a team player and respect the Rules, Opponents,

Officials, Teammates and Self. I will never be disrespectful to anyone.

I will take victory modestly and be gracious in defeat. I play for fun.

I will learn the rules of baseball and play by them. I will do my best to be on time for practices and games; and

inform my coach of planned absences and tardiness. I will respect and help keep the dugouts/recreational facilities

clean.

I _____________________________________ will honor the Shelburne Little League Players agreement in my words and actions. If I am unable to practice the behaviors above, I may jeopardize my privilege to play little League Baseball in Shelburne.

_____________________________________ _______________________Print Players Name Date

Shelburne Little League Baseball Coaching Manual 2019 1

Coaches Agreement Please read, initial each item and sign.

You are the most important person in our organization. You determine the kind of experience our athletes have with sports. We are committed to the principles of Positive Coaching. We expect our coaches to be “Double-Goal Coaches” who want to win and help players learn “life lessons” and positive character traits from sports.

1. Model and teach your players to Honor the Game. _____Teach the elements of ROOTS – Respect for: Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates, and one’s Self.

• Appoint a parent to be “Culture Keeper” for the team if possible.• Share with your players’ parents your desire for them to Honor the Game.• Drill Honoring the Game in practice.• Seize teachable moments to talk with players about Honoring the Game.

2. Help players redefine what it means to be a “Winner” in terms of Mastery, not just the Scoreboard: _____

• Teach players the ELM Tree of Mastery (Effort, Learning, and bouncing back from Mistakes).

• Use a “Team Mistake Ritual” (like “Flushing Mistakes”) to help players quickly rebound from mistakes.

• Reward effort, not just good outcomes. Look to recognize players for unsuccessful effort.• Encourage players to set “Effort Goals” that are tied to how hard they try.• Use Targeted Symbolic Rewards to reinforce effort and team play.

3. Fill your players’ Emotional Tanks. _____• Use encouragement and positive reinforcement as your primary method of motivating.• Strive to achieve the 5:1 “Magic Ratio” of 5 positive reinforcements to each Criticism/correction.• Schedule “fun activities” for practices, so players will enjoy their sport.• Use the “Buddy System” to teach players to fill each other’s Emotional Tanks.• Develop “player coaches” by asking for player input and asking rather than telling them

what to do.• Learn to give “Kid-Friendly Criticism” so players will be able to hear it. Criticize in private,

“Ask Permission,” use the Criticism Sandwich and avoid giving criticism in non-teachable moments.

4. Have Conversations during Team Meetings with your players at every practice and every game. _____

• Review Honoring the Game, the ELM Tree and the Emotional Tank throughout the season.• Remind players about these three concepts before and after every game.• Ask questions and encourage players to speak and contribute during team meetings.• Use the Winner’s Circle after a game to reinforce the positive things players did.


5. Be familiar with the rules, techniques and strategies of baseball as spelled out in the Shelburne Instructional coaching Manual and the Shelburne Little League rules manual. _____

• Be alert to the physical safety of the players• Teach the basics, giving all players an opportunity to improve their skills.• Organize practices that are fun and challenging• Maintain open lines of communication with players and parents.

Thank you for all your time and effort!

I will honor the Shelburne Little League Coaches Agreement in my words and actions.

_________________________________ _______________________Coaches Signature Date


Parents Agreement Please read, initial each item, sign and return to the coach.

1. I pledge to get my child to practice and games on time. I understand that it can be embarrassing for my child to be late and that I may be putting him/her at risk by not providing adequate time for warm-up. I pledge to pickup my child on time. _______

2. I pledge to use positive encouragement to fill my child’s Emotional Tank because athletes do their best when their “Emotional Tank” is full. I understand that fewer than 1% of youth sports participants receive college scholarships and that the top three reasons kids play sports are a) to have fun, b) to make new friends, and c) to learn new skills. The game is for the players, and I will keep sports in the proper perspective. _______

3. I pledge to reinforce the ELM Tree of Mastery with my child (E for Effort, L for Learning and M for bouncing back from Mistakes). Winners are people who make maximum effort, continue to learn and improve, and do not let mistakes, or fear of making mistakes, stop them. I understand that children are born with different abilities and that the true measure is not how my child compares to others but how he/she is doing in comparison to his/her best self. ______

4. I pledge to “Honor the Game.” I will set a good example for my child. No matter what others may do, I will show respect for all involved in the game including coaches, players, opponents, opposing fans, and officials. Officials make mistakes. If the official makes a “bad” call against my team, I will Honor the Game and be silent! ________

5. I pledge to refrain from yelling out instructions to my child. This is the coach’s job. I will limit my comments during the game to encouraging my child and all players.______

6. I pledge to refrain from making negative comments about my child’s coach in my child’s presence. I understand that this plants a negative seed in my child’s head that can negatively influence my child’s motivation and overall experience. _________

I will honor the Shelburne Little League Parents Agreement in my words and actions.

________________________________ _______________________Parent’s Signature Date

________________________________ Print Child’s Name


Sample Letter to Parents

Here is a good example of a letter to parents from the coach (from qcbaseball.com)

Dear Parent(s):

I wanted to take this opportunity to put in writing my coaching philosophy and my goals for your child and the team this season. Youth baseball can be an exciting and fun opportunity for your child to learn new skills, make new friends, and have fun. As fun as it can be for your child, different expectations from the coach, parent(s), and player can take away from that positive experience in a number of ways. As you read through this letter please make sure that my philosophy fits with your expectations of what you want for your child and how you believe the team should be run. If not, this is your opportunity to let me know.

Coaching Philosophy I believe that kids gain confidence and a love for the game through positive feedback from

parents, coaches and other players. Skill level develops at different rates for kids, but effort and having fun can always be achieved, I try to always provide positive feedback for effort.

I think it’s important that a coach takes more than a casual interest in the players. I strive to talk with all the players 1 on 1 at some point during the practices and games. I may not be successful getting to every player each day, but I want them to know that I’m interested in what they have to say and more importantly, I want them to know that their coach likes him/her as a person.

I believe in trying to make practices as fun and entertaining for the kids as possible, while providing practice and instruction they need to improve. I’ve found that kids expect and respond to well-structured and organized practices. Attention span is often limited with this age group, so I will strive to keep them moving and active.

Teamwork and developing friendships is an important part of any team sport. I always try to tell the kids how important it is for them to support each other and to always be positive towards their teammates.

Competition is an important element of any sport and as kids grow they naturally become more competitive. I don’t talk to the kids about “needing to win a game” or “how important it is that we win”. I feel my role and that of the parents is helping the kids develop the ability to deal with competition in a healthy way. Effort and attitude is my focus. If we can achieve that, then chances are we’ll win the number of games that we are capable of winning.

I will work on teaching fundamentals and skills during practice, but I believe the game is their time. I will give instruction during the game if I feel it will help with their performance during the game, but in general I try to let them enjoy the game. I don’t think any of the kids want to be told what they did wrong during the game. I hope as parents you will do the same. At this age, one missed ground ball can ruin the game for some kids. If your child misses a ground ball, tell them how proud you were of the effort they made to get in front of it. Strive to make them feel good about their contribution. My goa is to have every child feel that they played a great game that day.


ObjectivesWith this age group, I have 5 primary coaching objectives which I believe are equally important.

1. Help your child develop the skills necessary to be successful at this level and to prepare your child for next season.

2. To have fun and have the kids develop a love for the game. 3. Lean about the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship. 4. Give positive reinforcement based on effort rather than results. 5. Provide a safe and healthy environment for all the kids on the team.

Playing Time and Positions For this age group there is a drastic difference in skill level among the kids. I want to give the kids an opportunity to play a number of different positions and I’ll make sure each player gets a chance each game to play in the infield for a couple of innings. I will not have a player pitch or catch that I don’t feel has the ability to play the position at this time. This really is a safety issue as much as anything. Plus, I want to put kids in positions where I feel they have the best chance of being successful. That doesn’t mean they won’t have the ability by the end of the season and I will always work with the kids at those positions during practice if they are interested.

Team Rules and DisciplineWe will have a few team rules that we will make at the first practice. Rules may be added during this season if necessary. I use a “penalty bos” for the kids when they are not behaving or break a team rule. This takes the child away from the team and they are not allowed to participate in practice for a few minutes.

Player Expectations Have fun and always give your best effort. I expect players to always show respect for the coaches, parents and other players on the team. Spend time outside of practice playing baseball.

Parent Expectations Please try to get your child to practice and games on time. I know this can be difficult at times

and impossible at other times, but it’s really hard to conduct practice or get ready for a game when players continually show up plate. If you know your child will be late or won’t be able to make it to a practice or game, please let me know in advance if possible.

Help out with team volunteer opportunities. We have a number of items that require parent help. Get involved in playing baseball with your child. This may be helping out at practice or playing

catch in the yard on days we don’t practice. Kids love it when their parents get involved. Repetition also crucial for skill improvement. There simply isn’t enough organized practice time for the kids. They need to work on the skills they learn at practice at home also.

Please encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches, and officials at every game and practice. Please cheer for your child during games, but try to keep from yelling instructions to them. Remember this is their opportunity to enjoy playing in the game. Much of the fun is lost if their Mom or Dad is always yelling instructions.

Please let me know if you have a problem with me or something that is happening. Same holds true if your child isn’t happy about something. I want to know if there is a problem right away. With this age group, very small things can cause a child to be upset. These problems can be fixed very easily if I know about them.

Safety is a primary concern for me. Unfortunately, I can’t watch every child every second. If you see any situation that you believe is a safety concern, please step in and help. Make sure you follow up with me so I know what has happened.


I’m looking forward to a fun and rewarding season. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call me.

Sincerely,

NamePhone number E-mail address


Talk To Your Team With These Two ScriptsPCA has developed Positive Coaching Scripts to help coaches introduce positive coaching principles to their teams. Scripts shouldn’t be memorized and recited word-for-word. Read through the script and then put the ideas into your own language, words you feel comfortable using when you talk to your team.

A Script for Redefining “Winner”

Baseball is a great game. It’s a lot of fun to play, and it’s also a way that we learn important lessons that can help us later in life. I know that I learned a lot from playing competitive sports when I was your age.

I want to tell you about a goal I have for the team and for each of you individually this season. I want each of us to “Act like a winner to be a winner.”There are two kinds of winners. What is one kind of winner? What does “winner” mean to you? (Answer likely to be something like “The one who has the most points at the end of the game.”)

One kind of winner is the team that has the most points on the scoreboard at the end of the game. And we want to be that kind of winner. We want to work as hard as we can to win as many games as we can. There is another kind of winner though that is just as important. That is a winner in life. We want to learn from this season how to be a winner in everything we do, not just baseball.

To be a winner we need to start acting like a winner. And a winner is someone who is working for mastery of whatever activity he or she is doing. So in baseball we want to work toward mastery to be the best baseball player and team we can be. And we want to learn how to achieve mastery at anything we want to be good at.

To help understand the way that we achieve mastery, we use the example of a tree that we call the Tree of Mastery. If you climb the Tree of Mastery you will be successful.

We say that the Tree of Mastery is an ELM tree because there are 3 things you need to do to climb the ELM Tree of Mastery:E is for Effort. We want to give our best effort every time we come out on the field. I am more concerned that we try our hardest than I am if we win. We could win against a weak team without giving it our best effort, and that doesn’t really mean anything.On the other hand we could play a team that was stronger than we are and try our very hardest and lose. I would be proud of us in that case because we were acting like a winner by trying our hardest even though the other team ended up winning the game on the scoreboard. So the first part of the ELM Tree is E for Effort.


L is for Learning. We want to continue learning and improving every week in practice and every time we play a game. If we continue to learn, we will get better and that is more important than whether or not we are better than some other team.We could be better than another team without learning and improving if that team is a weak team. And we could be weaker than another team but be learning a lot and getting better all the time. It’s more important to me that we learn and improve than it is to beat a team that isn’t very good. And it’s more important that we learn and improve even if we lose to a team that is stronger than we are. So the second part of the ELM Tree is L for Learning.

M is for how we respond to Mistakes. Most people think it’s bad to make a mistake. But mistakes are part of the learning process. You can’t learn something as complicated as baseball if you are afraid to make a mistake. And people that are afraid to make a mistake often don’t even try very hard.

I want you to know that it is okay to make a mistake on this team. We want to learn from our mistakes and not let them discourage us or keep us from working hard.So, is it okay to make a mistake on this team? Yes, it is. And the third part of the ELM Tree is M for how we respond to a Mistake.

Acting like a winner involves three things. It means”1. Giving your best effort every time 2. Continuing to learn and improve, and 3. Not letting mistakes (or fear of making a mistake) stop you.

If you do these three things, you are acting like a winner, and you will be a winner in life as well as baseball. Now let’s have a great practice. Give it your best effort, learn as much as you can, and don’t worry about making a mistake.

A Script for Honoring the Game

I love the game of baseball, and I hope you do too. A lot of great things happen on the baseball field. I feel that it is an honor to be involved in the sport. That’s why I want to talk to you about honoring the Game.

Now, I am sure many of you have had parents or coaches talk to you about sportsmanship, or what it means to be a “good sport.” What does it mean to you to be a good sport? Sportsmanship is important, but in order to get the most out of this baseball season, I want you to honor the game.


We say the Honoring the Game goes to the ROOTS of the matter — R-O-O-T-S.Each letter in ROOTS stands for an important part of baseball that we must respect. The R stands for Rules. The first O is for Opponents. The next O is for Officials. T is for Teammates, and the S is for Self.

R is for Rules : The rules of baseball are what allow us to keep the game fair. Respect for the rules is important, even when it’s possible to break them without getting caught. I want you to play by the rules, even if you think you won’t get caught if you break them. Breaking the rules dishonors the game, even if it means that we win.

O is for Opponents: Without opponents, we could have no game. A good opponent makes us do our best. Some- times your opponents are friends of yours. I want you to respect your opponents, and remember they are out there to have fun just like us. I want you to try your hardest to win, not because you hate your opponent, but because you want to play your best. I promise that I will show respect for opposing coaches and teams, and I expect you to do the same.

O is for Officials: It is very important to respect officials. Often, this can be the most difficult part of Honoring the Game, so we need to remember to keep it as a focus when we play. Officials have been selected and trained to en- force rules, and they have a very hard job. Without the officials the game would be unsafe and unfair. Officials are not perfect (just like coaches, athletes and parents!) and sometimes make mistakes. However, there is no excuse for treating officials with disrespect when they make errors. I want you to show respect for officials, even when you disagree with the call. I promise to do the same thing.

T is for Teammates: A big part of baseball is the team. Being with your teammates should be fun. Later in life you will often be part of a team, and it is important to learn to work together. I hope you feel a commitment to each other as teammates and that you will agree to always play as hard as you can in practice and games. Please encourage and support each other on and off the playing field.

S is for Self : Some people only Honor the Game when their opponents do, but I want us to Honor the Game no matter what the other team or its fans do. I want us to be the kind of team that Honors the Game even when others aren’t because we set our own internal standards. And we live up to them no matter what. We have so much respect for ourselves that we would never do anything to dishonor the game.

Honor the Game starting right now at this practice, especially when we scrimmage.> Who can give me an example of how we Honor the Game of baseball? > What does each letter stand for?


Positive ChartingAs coaches we tend to think that we add value by finding things that are done incorrectly and improving them. But it is equally important to find things that are being done correctly and to reinforce them. Positive Charting is a method for increasing the number of "right things" that your players do. It also creates a wonderful positive atmosphere in which players are more receptive to being corrected because they feel appreciated. Effective Positive Charting helps you reach the Magic 5:1 ratio, which best keeps players' Emotional Tanks full.

Here's how Positive Charting works:

1. Write the name of each player in a box on the Positive Charting Form. If there is a specific action you want to look for with that player (for example, hustling back on defense, blocking out for rebounds) write it in the space marked "Look-For."

2. Look for the positive things players do. Whenever you see one, jot a note under the player's name. (Over time you'll develop your own shorthand. The key is to write enough so you'll remember it when you get to step #5 below.) Remember to look for the team-building things that players do to encourage each other as well as their physical actions.

3. Be honest. Don't be tempted to make something up or write something that isn't true about any player. This is the hard part - you have to find something positive about each player. It may be a small thing, but you can find it if you look hard enough.

4. At your next practice, begin with a quick team meeting in which you review your positive charting with your team. Take each player in turn and share with the group the positives. This should take no more than 30 seconds or so per player. Enjoy the positive energy of your players during practice. You could do this at every practice.


Positive Charting FormDate:___________________

Player: Look For:

Notes:

Player: Look For:

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Player: Look For:

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Notes


Pitch Count InformationAvailable on SLL website - https://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/PitchCountInformation.pdf


https://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/PitchCountInformation.pdf

Pitch Count LogAvailable on SLL website - https://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/PitchCountLog.pdf


https://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/PitchCountLog.pdf

Example Practice PlanTask Description/Comment

Attendance/Introduction All CoachesSafety Discuss expectations for running a safe session and emphasize it each

practice.

Warmups (15 mins) All CoachesDynamic warms ups (10 mins) Warm up arms / legs with series of dynamic stretches Arm circles Start out small circles progress to larger circles rotating from front to

back Arm stretch Elbow by ear, opposite arm pulls back steady but gentle High Knees/Super Mans High knee pull up – emphasizing knee/quad stretch. Butt Kickers Heel to butt Throwing (5 mins) Each player peers up and warms up throwing at a modest distance.

Breakout Sessions (15 mins – each station) Group RotationsThrowing & Catching Progression (15 mins)

Seated Throw Focus on mechanics and accuracy, not speed or velocity. 10 ft apart Knee Throw Knee in front focus on shoulder rotation - 15 ft apart Foot planted Throw Front foot point toward partner, rear foot planted – 20 ft apart Glove point and throw Focus on body motion and follow through – should be snapping wrist

and not pushing ball. Relay drill (speed of change and accuracy of throw).

Line 4-5 kids up and focus on receiving the ball and body position ready for throw, quick transfer glove to throwing hand and hitting target.

Fielding Infield and Outfield (15 mins) Partner Shuffle Rolls Peer up Player, spread apart by 15/20 feet one player rolls ball and other

player fields it and shuffles to left, shuffles to right. Done without glove. 10 balls and switch.

Short hop series Partner up, start on knees and each player short hops it to each other focusing on glove position staying down. Progress to standing up and finish with simulated throw.

Ground Ball Roll Focus on clean fielding and quick return. Wide Base, Butt down hands out front. 3-4 in a row rolled by coach and returned back. Switch.

Field/Catch/Throw Drill for grounders & line drives.

Setup players in 3 positions for fielding (2B or SS), 1B and home plate. Coach hits to SS/2B and then player throws to 1B, 1B throws to Catcher. Rotate.

Open Fly Drive Coach works with players on body position and proper pivot for fly balls, makes sure first step is in direction of ball. Coach hand tosses ball allowing player to pivot in each direction (left and right). Use bat as starting line if needed. Line up players and coach lobs and force player to throw after catch.

Hitting (15 mins) 2 Active Tees – partner load 1 player hits off tee and partner loads balls – both players need helmets

and aware of each other. Idea is to focus on level swing and solid contact.

2 cages going with coach pitch to each or possibly side toss for some.

1 player per cage while coach pitches 20 balls and rotate. It’s up to the coach to determine pitch velocity based on player’s skill.


Accident Report FormAvailable on SLL website - http://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/ShelburneLittleLeagueAccidentReportForm.pdf


http://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/ShelburneLittleLeagueAccidentReportForm.pdf

2019 Coaching Committee & League Liaisons Members

2019 Shelburne Little LeagueLeague Liaisons

Name League Cell E-MailPat Whitman T-Ball 802-355-6490 [email protected] McDade A 802-238-0352 [email protected] McLean AA 917-783-6318 [email protected] Aherns / Chris Konowitz

AAA 802-734-6351802-999-2102

[email protected]@gmail.com

Chris Berger Majors 802-999-1160 [email protected] Lee Babe Ruth 802-598-8378 [email protected] Smith / Jason Galipeau

Softball 603-318-6907802-238-7977

[email protected]@yahoo.com

Pat Whitman Player Agent 802-355-6490 [email protected] Scott McDade President 802-238-0352 [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]










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